Manufacture of vehicle rims



Be; 12, 1933- A. W. WOODWARD 1,938,614

MANUFACTURE OF VEHICLE RIMS Original Filed May 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Fig. 4

gwvmtoa AIYAW. Woodwmi Dec. 12, 1933. A. w. WOODWARD MANUFACTURE OFVEHICLE RIMS Original Filed May 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 14

gnve/rvtoz Alva W Woodward Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITED. STATES PATENTOFFICE MANUFACTURE OF VEHICLE RHHS Original application May 15, 1928,Serial No. 277,876. Divided and this application January 30, 1929.Serial No. 336,177

1 Claim.

My invention relates to vehicle wheel r'nns and it has particularrelation to rims of the aforesaid character embodying transversely splitannular members which are associated operatively with endless siderings.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel and inexpensive methodof forming a transverse split in an annular member.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 277,876, filedMay 15, 1928.

Prior to this invention certain types of rims employed in relativelylarge numbers upon the wheels of motor vehicles were composed oftransversely split annular members having endless side rings disposed ininterlocking relation thereto. In each rim the endless ring preventedoutward radial movement of the ends of the transversely split member andlargely prevented relative lateral movement of such ends. Frequently,however, the endless ring did not securely engage the ends of the splitmember and considerable relative lateral movement of such ends occurred.

The split in the member extended diagonally across the base and througha portion of the sidewall of the tire-engaging flange along a nonradialplane, thus providing a so-called undercut portion; thencecircumferentially along the sidewall of the flange; and finallydiagonally across the curved section of the flange in parallel rela-.tion to, the aforesaid undercut portion. Since the abutting undercutend portions of the member extended diagonally across the latter withoutinterruption, except for abutting edges of the circumferential portionof the split, lateral movement in one direction of one end of the memberwith respect to the other was opposed ionly by the endless retainingrings. On the .other hand, inward radial movement of one of the ends ofthe member was prevented solely by the abutting edges of thecircumferenial portion of the split. Consequently, if one of the ends ofthe member moved laterally with respect to the other, a distancecorresponding to the thickness of the flange, the other end of themember became free to move inwardly. Since ,the pressure in a tire uponthe rim tended to .contract the member, this radial movement was:accentuated and often resulted in the complete dislocation of the endsof the member.

Heretofore, the split in the member was formed by initially sawingthrough the base of the member and a portion of the sidewall of the tireengaging flange thereof, then sawing from the opposite side of themember through the curved portion of the tire engaging flange, andfinally shearing circumferen'tially along the sidewall of the flangebetween the adjacent ends of the first mentioned portions of the split.This process of forming the split required considerable time and labor,and therefore, increased materially the expense of manufacturing therim..

This invention practically obviates the difllculties heretoforeencountered by providing a transversely split member having a portion ofthe split located in the base and sidewall thereof, which is disposed ina plane substantially intersecting the axis of the rim. Hence, the endsof the member have frictionally engaging portions which strongly opposerelative lateral movement of such ends. The split preferably is formedby a single shearing operation, in which it is necessary to form thecircumferential portion of the split at an angle to the sidewall of theflange. Consequently, the end portions of the rim bordering thecircumferential part of the split do not positively oppose inward radialmovement of one end of the rim with respect to the other. To offsetthis, the vertically disposed portion of the split in the sidewall isarcuated to provide a projection on one end of the rim which extendsinto a depression in the other end.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may now be had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, ofwhich:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a rim constructed'according to apreferred form of the invention; i

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the lineIIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the lineIIIIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the lineIV-IV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view taken substantially along the line V--V of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view taken substantially along the line VIVI of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a view taken substantially along the line VII-VII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view, having portions thereof broken away, ofthe cutting mechanism employed in forming the split; I

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of the rim, as shown by Fig. 8, withthe shearing members shown in broken lines;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of a rim embodying another form ofthe invention;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary plan view of a rim embodying still another formof the invention;

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the lineXII-XII of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the lineXIII-XIII of Fig. 11;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary elevational view of the split in the flange,taken externally of the rim shown in Fig. 11; and

Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the lineXV-XV of Fig. 11.

A rim 10 employed in practicing the invention comprises a transverselysplit member 11 and an endless side ring 12, having tire engagingflanges 13 and 14, respectively. As best shown by Fig. 15, the flangesare provided with normally projecting sidewalls 15, which merge at theirouter edge into arcuate portions 16. The members 11 and 12, in theiroperative positions, are interlocked by an inclined shoulder 17 formedon the inner periphery of the member 12, which abuts a flange disposedaround the outer edge or" an inclined portion 18 projecting inwardlyfrom wedge of a base 19 of the member 11. Separation of the members 11and 12 is facilitated by a' notch 21, formed in the flange 20, adjacentan opening 22 which is provided for a valve stem of 'an inner tube of apneumatic tire casing (not shown). This notch provides an initialpurchase for a suitable tool employed in forcing one end oi the member11 inwardly and laterally away from the ring 12, after which the aforesaid tool may be employed effectively at other points about the rim,until the members are completely separated.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, the split in the member 11comprises a diagonally directed portion 27 formed in the base 19, whichcommunicates at one end with the valve stem opening 22 and extendsoppositely therefrom towardthe tire engaging flange 13. As shown byFigs. 3 and 4, this portion 2'7 of the split is slightly undercut at anangle which progressively increases as the split approaches the tireengaging flange 13. This variation of the angle of undercut results fromcutting in a diagonal direction through a circumferentially curvedsection of the member.

Adjacent the flange 13 the split extends, as indicated at 28, into thesidewall 15 thereof in a substantially radial plane, parallel to theaxis of the rim. The lower edge of the flange 13 is provided with anarcuate portion 29, embodying a continuation of the split 27 beyond theportion 28, which projects toward the plane of the valve stem opening 22in overhanging relation to the portion 28. Thus, it will be observedthat a radial plane substantially coinciding with the portion 28 of thesplit will intersect the arcuate portion 29 at two points. Consequently,one end of the member 11 has a hook or projection 30. and the other end,a corresponding depression 31.

The arcuate portion 29 of the split communicates at its outer end withone end of a cirthe curved section 16 of the flange.

As shown by Fig. 8, a mechanism employed in forming the split by asingle shearing operation comprises a stationary shearing member 35,supported upon a base 36, and a. complementary shearing member 37, whichis mounted in a movable support 38. The shearing members and 37 areprovided with complementary suri'aces 39 and 40, respectively, whichconform to the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the member 11 whenthe latter is disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to the pathof movement or" the shearing member 3'7 and the shearing members aredisposed at predetermined angles with respect to a radial plane passingcentrally through the opening 22. Complementary edges 41 and 42 of theshearing members 35 and 37 respectively, correspond to the configurationof thefsplit in the member 11, and are adaptedto form a splitcommunicating with the valve stem opening 22 in the rim.

In operation, the member 11 is disposed upon the stationary member 35 inthe relation hereinbefore described (Figs. 8 and 9), and the shearingmember 37 is actuated downwardly upon the latter in shearing relation tothe edge 39 of the lower shearing member.

Preferably, the path of movement of the shearing member 37 issubstantially parallel to a plane including the axis of the rim and aradius thereof extending to the valve stem opening. Several factorscontrol the inclination of the ends of the rim at the split with respectto radii of the rim extending thereto. For example, the rim section isar uate and the split nds in a general diagonal direction. Because ofthese facts, the inclination of the ends of the rim along such adiagonal line will vary in a uniform manner. Moreover, the rim isdisposed in a plane inclined with respect to the path of movement of theshearing member 42 which necessarily affects the inclination of the endsof the rim. It is apparent that the inclination of the ends of the rimwith respect to radii extending thereto may be varied by varying thepath of movement of the shearing member 37 with respect to the planedefined by the axis of the rim and the radius thereof extending to thevalve stem opening.

When the transversely split member 11 is assembled with the endless ring12, several factors enter into the maintenance of the ends of the member11 in operative position. Primarily, the relative lateral movement ofthe ends of the member 11 is opposed by the interlocking ring disposedthereupon. However, if the ring does not prevent all relative lateralmovement of the ends of the member, such other movement as might occur,is opposed positively by the frictional engagement of the ends of themember adjacent the portion 28 of the split. This frictional engagementis, of course, accentuated by the pressure of an inflated inner tube onthe rim, which tends to contract the member 11 and thusstrongly urgesthe ends against each other. In addition, the ends of the member haveportions abutting along diagonal lines, which prevents relative lateralmovement of the ends in one direction.

Outward radial movement of the ends of the member, relatively, isprevented initially by the ring 12, but such movement is positivelyprevented by the projection 30 in one end of the member 11 engagingthedepression 31' in the other end. Moreover, since the portions 28 and32 are slightly undercut, the ends of the member 11 adjacent theseportions of the split serve to prevent their relative radial movement inone direction.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by Fig. 10, the split inthe member 11 comprises a diagonal portion 51, extending across the base19 of the rim and identical with the portion 27 shown by Fig. 1; aportion 52 extending normally through a portion of the base and througha portion of the sidewall 14 (see Fig. 14), and a portion 53 extendingdiagonally through the curved portion 16 of the tire engaging fiange.Preferably, this split is formed by shearing substantially radiallythrough the base to form the portion 51 and the part of the portion 52in the base of the member, and thereafter shearing substantially in adirection parallel to the axis of the rim, as indicated by the arrow Ain Fig. 15, thus forming the remainder of the portion 52 and the portion53. Hence, in this construction, two operations are required to form thesplit.

The construction shown by Fig. 11 is identical with that shown by Fig.10, with the exception that between the portions 52 and 53 of the splitshown in the latter figure, a circumferentially extending portion 55(Fig. 14) is provided. The object of the portion 55 of the split is toassist in preventing relative radial movement of the ends of the member.Formation of the split in this construction is eflected by the samemethod as that employed in forming the split illustrated by Fig. 10.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that a rim has beenprovided in which the transversely split member is positively maintainedin its operative position. Consequently,

when the rim is in operation, there is little chance of the partsbecoming disassembled. Moreover, by forming the split in the mannerdescribed, the expense of manufacturing the rim is reduced to a minimum.

Although I have illustrated only the preferred forms which the inventionmay assume and have described those forms in detail, it will be apparentto those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited butthat various minor modifications may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appendedclaim.

What I claim is:

The method of making a transversely split rim member which comprisesforming an endless rim member having at opposite edges substantiallyradial, outwardly projecting flanges, forming a valve stem openingextending laterally from a point substantially centrally of the basemember through one of the flanges, supporting the base member and theother side flange upon a shearing member having a shearing edge disposeddiagonally of the base and intersecting the valve stem opening therein,and shearing the rim with a complementary shearing member movable in adirection at an angle to the axis of the rim member but substantiallyparallel to a plane defined by the axis of the base member and a radiusextending from the valve stem opening to the axis.

ALVA W. WOODWARD.

